Jorhat ( /) is a major city in Upper Assam and among the fastest growing urban centres in the state of

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

Etymology

Jorhat ("jor" means twin and "hat" means market) means two hats or mandis - "Masorhaat" and "Sowkihat" which existed on the opposite banks of the Bhugdoi river.

History

Under British Rule

In 1885, a narrow-gauge railway, Jorehaut Provincial Railway, became operational. In time, this contributed to the rapid growth of the tea industry around the whole region.

Geography

Jorhat is located at . It has an average elevation of . The municipality covers an area of , has 19 wards with a population of 71,398 as per 2011 census.The district spreads over and had a population of 870,000 according to a 1991 census. Population density at that time was . The sex ratio is 913 (913 females per 1000 males).

Climate

Demographics

Jorhat Municipal Board (covering the out growth area) had a population of 1,26,736 as of the 2011 census. The average literacy rate of Jorhat in 2011 was 91.39%. Gender-wise, male and female literacy were 93.63% and 88.99% respectively, which is one of the highest in the state. Jorhat's sex ratio stood at 935 females per 1000 males, according to the Census 2011 Directorate. Hindus were 87.49% of the population, while Muslims were 10.50% and Christians 0.62% of the population respectively. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are 6.40% and 1.84% of the population respectively.

Languages

Assamese is the predominant language and is spoken by 70.08% of the population, while Bengali was spoken by 12.27%.

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

(11.60%) and Bhojpuri (1.01%) are spoken by migrants from the Gangetic plains, such as traders and labourers. Ethnic languages like Mising and Deori are also spoken by the respective ethnicity. Other small languages in the city include Marwari, Sadri, Santali, Sora and Odia which in total are spoken by 5.04% of the population.

Culture

Jorhat has rich contributions in the fields of arts, culture and tradition of the contemporary Assamese society. In 1896, Jorhat Theatre was established to perform cultural activities and dramas by some renowned people of the town. The Chandrakanta Handique Bhawan, the headquarters of Asam Sahitya Sabha was established in 1926. Jorhat has produced creative writers, historians and journalists. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya, the first Assamese to win India's highest literature award, the

Jnanpith Award The Jnanpith Award is the oldest and the highest Indian literary award presented annually by the Bharatiya Jnanpith to an author for their "outstanding contribution towards literature". Instituted in 1961, the award is bestowed only on Indian ...

, was from Jorhat.

Media

In 1935, the first Assamese daily newspaper ''Dainik Batori'' was published from Jorhat by Raibahadur Siva Prasad Barooah. The daily newspapers which have Jorhat editions include , , '' Dainik Agradoot'' and in Assamese, the ''Purbanchal Prohori'' in Hindi and ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are often names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * The Telegraph (Adelaide), ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaid ...

'' in English. ''The Eastern Clarion'' was the first English daily published from the city, but it was ceased. Besides the dailies, a weekly newspaper ''Saptahik Janambhumi'' is also published from Jorhat. ''City Guide of Jorhat'' was the first yellow pages, published in July 1987. Jorhat has a radio broadcast station of

All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...

(AIR) located on the outskirts of the city at Garmur.

District Court

The District & Sessions Judge of Upper Assam District, Jorhat, was established on November 15, 1948, and became permanent on April 1, 1953. The first District & Sessions Judge of Assam Valley, Upper Assam Districts, Jorhat, was Mr. S.K. Das, M.A., B.L. Currently, the district's territorial jurisdiction extends over two sub-divisions: Majuli Sub-Division and Titabar Sub-Division. Altogether, the District & Sessions Judge and the Chief Judicial Magistrate comprise 15 courts staffed by Judicial Officers of various grades. The District & Sessions Judge together with the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court Complex, Jorhat is situated in the heart of the city. The Present District & Sessions Judge as the head of the establishment is Shri Mridul Kumar Kalita. The present Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jorhat, the head of all the Criminal Courts is Sri Vijay Kumar Singh.

Transport

Air

The

Jorhat Airport Jorhat Airport , also known as Rowriah Airport, is a domestic airport serving the cities of Jorhat and Golaghat in Assam, India. It is located at Rowriah, situated south-west from Jorhat and north-east from Golaghat. History It was establi ...

, commonly known as Rowriah Airport, is located at Rowriah, a suburb of Jorhat, about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the city centre. The airport has flight connectivity to

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

and

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

operated by

IndiGo InterGlobe Aviation Limited (d/b/a IndiGo), is an India, Indian airline headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. It is the largest List of airlines of India, airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size, with a 64.1% domestic market ...

. It is controlled by the

Airports Authority of India The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is a statutory body under the ownership of the Ministry of Civil Aviation (India), Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India. It is responsible for creating, upgrading, maintaining, and managing civi ...

Rail

The first rail connectivity of Jorhat began during British era in 1885, when Jorehaut Provincial Railway, a narrow-gauge railway services became operational. Jorhat is served by Jorhat Town railway station which lies on the Furkating-Jorhat-Mariani branch line of Tinsukia railway division. Mariani Junction railway station, the major railway junction of the district is about from Jorhat. It falls in the Lumding-Dibrugarh section and is well connected to all the large cities of the country by long-distance express trains.

Road

The Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) of Jorhat is at Kotoki Pukhuri, Tarajan. It operates daily bus services from ASTC and private operators to other towns and cities in the state and few destinations of the Northeast.

Auto-rickshaw An auto rickshaw is a motorized version of the pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw. Most have three wheels and do not tilt. They are known by many other terms in various countries, including three-wheeler, Adaidaita Sahu, Keke-napep, Maruwa, auto, ...

s, local cabs and rickshaws are the main mode of public transport within the city.

Water

The daily ferry services connect the Nimati ghat with Kamalabari and Aphalamukh in

Majuli Majuli (also spelled Majoli) is the largest river island in Assam, a state in northeastern India. It is bordered by the Brahmaputra River to the South and East, the Subansiri River to the West, and an anabranch of the Brahmaputra River. The is ...

. The ''Neamati multimodal waterways terminal'' on

Brahmaputra The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Southwestern China, Northeastern India, and Bangladesh. It is known as Brahmaputra or Luit in Assamese, Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, and ...

National Waterway 2 in Jorhat district is part of the Bharatmala and Sagarmala projects.

Education and research institutions

Research institutes

* North East Institute of Science and Technology, Jorhat (N.E.I.S.T.) (formerly R.R.L., Jorhat) under CSIR, Dept. of Science & Technology, Govt. of India * Rain Forest Research Institute (R.F.R.I.), Jorhat under I.C.F.R.E., Min. of Environment & Forests, Govt.of India * Tocklai Tea Research Institute, Tea Research Association (T.R.A.) Tocklai under Tea Research Association, Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India * Central Muga Eri Research & Training Institute, Lahdoigarh, under Central Silk Board * College of Sericulture, under Assam Agriculture University * Indian Grain Storage Management and Research Institute, Jorhat * Institute of Biotechnology & Geotectonics Studies (INBIGS), ONGC Complex, Cinnamara, Jorhat - 785008

Universities

* Assam Agricultural University (A.A.U.), under Government of Assam * Assam Women's University, under Government of Assam * Kaziranga University

Technical institutes

Jorhat institute of science and technology

* HRH The Prince of Wales Institute of Engineering and Technology *

Jorhat Engineering College Jorhat Engineering College founded in 1960 by the Government of Assam, is a government engineering college in Assam, northeast India. The college, affiliated with Assam Science and Technology University, is accredited by the All India Council ...

, Directorate of Technical Education, Government of Assam * Jorhat Institute of Science & Technology, formerly Science College, Jorhat, Government of Assam * Kaziranga University, Mohbondha, Jorhat * North East Institute of Management Science, (opposite the N.E.I.S.T.), Jorhat

Design institute

* National Institute of Design, Jorhat

Medical institutes

* Jorhat Medical College and Hospital under the State Government of Assam * Medical Institute Jorhat, under the Government of Assam. * Dr. J.K. Saikia Homeopathic Medical College & Hospital, Jorhat

Training institute

* Institute of Advanced Studies in Education, Jorhat

Colleges

* Bahona College * CKB Commerce College * D.C.B. Girls College * Jagannath Barooah College * Jorhat College * Jorhat Institute of Science & Technology (formerly Jorhat Science College). * Jorhat Kendriya Mahavidyalaya * Jorhat Law College, M.G. Road, Jorhat * Kakojan College, Kakojan * Dr. Nobin Bordoloi College, Dhekiajuli

Schools

* Carmel Convent School, Cinnamara * Dipankar Vidyapith * Don Bosco Higher Secondary School, Baghchung * Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Jorhat * Jorhat Govt. Boys' H.S and M.P. School * Shemford Futuristic School, Choladhara * Spring Dale High Schoolhttp://www.dongme.ning.com * St. Mary's High School, Jorhat, Rowriah * Crescent Academy * Delhi Public School, Jorhat, Sarucharai Gharfalia * Excellere Senior Secondary School * Kendriya Vidyalaya (Indian Air Force Station), Jorhat-785005 * Kendriya Vidyalaya, NEIST (RRL), Jorhat-785006 * Kendriya Vidyalaya, (ONGC), Cinnamara * Sankardev Seminary High School

Sports

Established in 1950, the multi-purpose Jorhat Stadium is the oldest stadium of Assam, which is mainly used for

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

and

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

. It has hosted few

Ranji Trophy The Ranji Trophy is a premier domestic first-class cricket championship played in India and organized annually by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The teams representing regional and state cricket associations participate. BCCI ...

matches. The prominent football tournament ATPA Shield held every year in this venue since 1955. Jorhat Town Club used the stadium as home ground for their home matches of Assam State Premier League. Other sporting venues near the stadium include JDSA Field, Kushal Konwar Indoor Stadium, Jorhat Swimming Society and Jorhat Tennis Club. The historic sporting venue Jorhat Gymkhana Club known for the century old annual horse race called Jorhat Races, which began in 1877. It has a golf course and a cricket ground.

Politics

Jorhat is part of Jorhat (Lok Sabha constituency). Gaurav Gogoi,

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

is the current Member of Parliament serving the 18th

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...

from Jorhat, Assam. Hitendranathgoswami

Hitendra Nath Goswami of BJP is the incumbent MLA from Jorhat assembly constituency.

Notable people

* Hemendra Prasad Barooah, Tea planter and industrialist * Jagannath Barooah, Scholar, tea planter, philanthropist * Ranjit Barthakur, Businessman and chairman of Rajasthan Royals * Amulya Barua, Assamese poet * Ananda Chandra Barua, Assamese poet, dramatist, former president of Asam Sahitya Sabha * Chandradhar Barua, Assamese poet, playwright, former president of Assam Sahitya Sabha, represented Assam in the Round Table Conference *

Joi Barua Joi Barua is an Indian people, Indian singer and music composer. Born in Digboi, Assam, he started his career by singing Jingles, advertising jingles and later did playback singing for Hindi language, Hindi, Assamese language, Assamese and Telugu ...

, Assamese and Bollywood singer * Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya, The first

-winning Assamese writer * Hiren Bhattacharyya, Assamese poet * Bijoya Chakravarty, Former Lok Sabha MP from Guwahati (Born in Jorhat) * Ananda Chandra Dutta,

Botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

* Zubeen Garg, Assamese and Bollywood singer * Akhil Gogoi, Prominent social activist, MLA from Sivasagar * Ganesh Gogoi, Assamese poet * Tarun Gogoi, former Chief Minister of Assam. * Gaurav Gogoi, MP of Jorhat and the current Deputy Leader of INC in the

* Hitendra Nath Goswami, Former Speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly, MLA of Jorhat * Rana Goswami, Former MLA of Jorhat * Jitendra Nath Goswami, Chief scientist of Chandrayaan -1 * Bijoy Krishna Handique, Former Union Minister * Krishna Kanta Handique, Sanskrit scholar, Indologist and philanthropist * Jayanta Nath, Singer, Composer, Music Director * Jadav Payeng, The "Forest Man of India" * Prastuti Porasor, Assamese film actress * Anuradha Sharma Pujari, Assamese journalist and author *

Tim Severin Timothy Severin (25 September 1940 – 18 December 2020) was a British explorer, historian, and writer. Severin was noted for his work in retracing the legendary journeys of historical figures. Severin was awarded both the Founder's Medal ...

, British explorer, historian, and writer was born in Jorhat *

Himanta Biswa Sarma Himanta Biswa Sarma (born 1 February 1969) is an Indian politician and lawyer serving as the 15th and current Chief Minister of Assam since 2021. A former member of the Indian National Congress, Sarma joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on 23 Au ...

, The current Chief Minister of Assam and MLA from Jalukbari (Born in Jorhat) * Anwara Taimur, First Woman Chief Minister of Assam

References

External links

*
Jorhat District Official Website

{{Authority control Former capital cities in India Cities and towns in Jorhat district